Tom Gnagey

T.j. Tom Gnagey

T. J. a teen boy's search for himself - Intended for adults and young adults 15 and older. It is best to have read the novel, DAVID: a teen boy's search for meaning, before beginning this one since it provides a wealth of essential background about the main characters in this story. In the first book, David, a brilliant, lovable, take-care-of-everybody-sort of 17-year-old had been unable to cope with his depressing concept of how life would be for him after high school and he ended his life. T. J., the main character in this new story, was one of David's two best friends. David and T. J. were as dissimilar from each other as any best friends had ever been. In this story, T. J. begins to cope with his friend's death, his loneliness, and to evaluate his own disordered, depraved, chaotic approach to living. Sue, David's best friend from preschool, and David's family members also continue in important roles in this story. It deals openly and frankly with issues that are important to teens - education, class differences, life, death, love, intimate relations, alcoholism, addiction, and its primary focus, the loss of a loved one and the guilt and emptiness that often accompany it. (Think of it as book with a PG-13 rating)